Fabric stretching and drying apparatus.



J. w. SH-ELTON.

'FABRIC STRETCHING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION. FILED DEC. 7 1917.

' Patented June 18, 1918.

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gamma 0 0 0 J. W. SHELTON.

FABRIC STRETCALH-NLGQAND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1917.

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JOHN 'WESLEY SHELTON, OF TUCSON, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR T0 TUCSON STE LAUNDRY 00., A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

FABRIC S'IBETCHING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patugnhgfl Jung 1g, 191$,

Application filed December 7, 1917. Serial No. 205,997.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. SIIELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tucson, in the county of Pima and State of Arizona, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fabric Stretching and Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fabric stretching and drying apparatus and particularly stretchers and driers for lace curtains and the like, and has for its object the provision of an improved apparatus of this character which will occupy a minimum of floor space, is readily adjustable to receive different lengths and widths of fabric, and which is rovided with means for expediting the drying of the fabric.

Another important objectis the provision of means for yieldingly retaining a curtain or other fabric stretched transversely so that Y the curtains will not be torn or pulled as they contract in that direction in the course of drying,

The invention will be first hereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form of my invention, and which constitute part of this specification, and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of the description.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: I

Figure 1 is an elevation of a fabric stretcher and drier made substantially in accordance with this invention and showing a curtain attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the stretcher and drier; v

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. 1

The stretcher and drier-oomprisesa hollow cylindrical drum 1 supported 1n upright position upon a standard 2 which rises from a broad base or support 3. The drum is perforated at 4 to permit air to passfreely therethrough. A curtain 5 or other plece of fabric is adapted to be supported around the drum by having its ends connected with series of hooks t and 7 mounted to slide respectively on vertical rods 8 and 9 spaced from the outside of said drum.

The upright rod 8 is fixed to the upper edge of the drum by a bracket 10, while the lower end of said rod is fixed by a bracket 11 to an annular rod 12 surrounding and spaced from the lower end of the drum. The upright rod 9 is mounted to slide at its lower end on the annular rod 12, and its upper end is also mounted to slide along the upper edge of the drum. The rod 9 is, therefore, ad ustable with respect to the rod 8 for accommodating different lengths of curtains or other fabric. The upper end of the adjustable rod 9 carries a pawl 13 adapted to engage any one of a series of notches 14 in the upper edge of the drum. The lower end of said rod 9 also carries a pawl 15 adapted to engage any one of a series of notches 16 in the annular rod 12. Both ends of said rod 9 may thus be locked in any desired adjustment for holding a curtain or fabric properly stretched longitudinally.

The annular rod 12, which 1s fixed in any suitable manner to the lower end of the drum, carries a series of hooks 17 ada ted to be engaged with one lateral edge 0 the curtain or fabric. The other lateral edge of the curtain or fabric may be connected to a series of hooks 18 mounted on an adjustcally upon a central tubular post 22 whichmay be an extension of the standard 12 and which is provided with longitudinal slots 23 through which said disk is connected to a hub portion 24 fitted to slide within said tubular post. Said hub portion 2 1 is provided with an internally threaded passage in which is fitted an adjusting screw 25, the head 26 of which carries a hand wheel 27. At the upper ends of the slots 23, the post 22 has inwardly extending lugs or shoulders 28 between which and the head 26 of the adjusting screw 25 there is arranged a coiled sprin 29 or other resilient cushioning member. y means of the adjusting screw, the

- disk 20, and annular rod 19 mounted thereon, may be moved toward or away from the fixed annular rod 12 to accommodate did'erent widths of As the fabric 1 the int - gested in Fig. 2. The rotation of the fan spring 29 will yi' J-ld and permit the annular rod 19 to move nearer to the fixed annular rod 12, thus preventing injury or tearing of the-fabric.

Withinthe lower end of the drum and preferably journaled around the bottom of the post 23 is a fan 30 which may be driven by an electric motor 31 or other suitable means. As shown, the hub of the fan is provided with a gear. 32 which meshes with a ear 33 on the armature shaft of the motor, int it will be understood that any other suitable driving connection may be used. To further expedite the drying of the curtain or other fabric, heating coils 34 may be placed in the drum above the fan, as sugwill force currents of air out through the perforations in the drum, and the contact of these air currents with the fabric will quickly dry the same. IOf course,,when the air is heated by-the coil, the drying will be even more uickly' accomplished.

Having t us described my invention what. I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the com- 1 bination with a perforated drum, a post arranged centrally within the drum, means for stretching a iece of fabric about the drum,

a fan journa ed around the post within the drum, means for rotating said fan for forcing currents of air outward through the per forations-in the drum, and means for heating said air currents.

2. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the

combination with a-perforated drum, a post arranged centrally within the drum, means for stretching a piece of fabric about the drum, a fan journaled around the post within the drum, a motor mounted on the drum,

and driving connections between the motor and fan. Y

3. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination' with a perforated drum, a post arranged centrally within the drum, means for stretching a piece of fabric about the drum, a fan journaled around the post within the drum, a motor mounted on the drum, driving connections between the motor and fan for rotating said fan whereby currents of air are forced outward through the perforations in the drum, and means for heating said air currents. K.

4:. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum having a series of notches around it, of means for fastening one end of a piece of fabric to the drum, an adjustable rod having means for fastening the other end of the fabric thereto, and a I pawl mounted on said adjustable rod and adapted to engage the said notches for retaining the fabric in stretched position.

5. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination, with a drum having a series of to engage the notches in the end of the drum and in said annular rod, respectively, means on said annular rod for connecting one edge of the fabric thereto, and an adjustable all)- nular rod having means for connecting other edge of the fabric thereto.

6. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum, of means for connecting the ends of a piece of fabric thereto, a

fixed annular rod having means for connecting one edge of the fabric to the same, a disk within. the drum, an annular rod connected to said disk and having means for connecting the other edge of the fabric thereto, and an adjusting screw for moving said disk and the annular rod carried thereby toward or away from the fixed annular rod.

7. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum, of means for connecting the ends of a piece of fabric thereto, a fixed annular rod-havin means for connecting one edge of the fabr1c to the same, a disk within the drum, an annular rod connected to said disk'and havin means for connecting the other edge of t e fabric thereto, an adjusting screw for moving said disk and the annular rodcarried thereb toward or awav from the fixed annular r0 and means for cushioning said adjusting screw for al lowing the annular rod mounted on the disl to yield toward the fixed annular rod as the fabric contracts transversely in drying. a.

8. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum having-longitudinalslots therein, of a fixed jannular rod surrounding the drum and having means for connecting one edge of apiece of fabric thereto, a disk within the drum, an annular rod surrounding the drum and connected to said disk through saidlongitudinal slots, means on said second annular rod for connecting the other edge of the fabric thereto,

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and means for adjusting the disk and ana hub on said disk arranged within the post,- and an adjusting screw housed within thepost and engaging said hub for adjusting the disk and annular rod carried thereby to piece of fabric thereto, a hollow post arranged centrally within the drum, a disk mounted to slide on the post and havin a hub arranged within the same, an annu ar rod surrounding the drum and connected to the disk, means on the second annular rod for connecting the other edge of the fabric thereto, an adjusting screw housed in the post and engaging the hub of the disk for adjusting the latter and the annular rod carried thereby toward or away from the stationary annular rod, a shoulder in the post, and cushioning means housed within thepost and interposed between said shoulder and the head' of the adjusting screw for permitting the annular rod on the disk to yleld toward the stationary annular rod as the fabric contracts transversely in drying.

11. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a perforated drum, a post arranged centrally within the drum, means for stretching a piece of fabric about the drum, a fan journaled around the post within the drum, and means for rotating said fan for forcing currents of air outward through the perforations in the drum.

12. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the

combination with a perforated drum, of a post arranged centrally therein, a disk fitted in the drum and mounted to slide on the post, adjustable means for stretching a piece of fabric about the drum including an an- 13. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a cylindrical drum supported in vertical position, of adjustable means for stretching a piece of fabric about said drum, a central ad usting screw for actuating said stretching means, and a hand wheel of substantially the same diameter as the drum attached to the head of said adjustin screw. 1

14. n a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum, of means for securing one edge of a piece of fabric about the drum in fixed relation thereto, and means for securing the other edge of the fabric about the drum, said latter securing means being adjustable along the drum for the purpose specified, and means for cushioning said adjustable securing means to permit the same to yield as the fabric contracts in drying. I

15. In a fabric stretching apparatus the combination with a drum, of means for securing the fabric in the direction of its length around said drum and means for automatically adjusting the fabric in the direction of its width.

16. In a fabric stretching apparatus the combination with a drum, of adjustable means for securing the fabric in the direction of its length around said drum and means for automatically adjusting the fabric in the direction of its width.

17. In a fabric stretcher and drier, the combination with a drum having a series of notches around it, of means for fastening one end of a piece of fabric to the drum, an adjustable rod havin means for fastening the other end of the abric thereto, means for automatically adjusting the fabric in the direction of its length, and a pawl mounted on said adjustable rod and adapted to engage the said notches for retaining the fabric in stretched position.

JUIIN SLEY SHELTON 

